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2008 Dx with a persistent poor idle after starter change

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Old 07-08-2017
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2008 Dx with a persistent poor idle after starter change

1st post on here and hopeful for some solid advice and help. I'm active in other forums including one for my old land cruiser but my 08 Civic Dx has been a reliable and flawless source of transportation for 180k until now.

The starter was going out so I went about replacing it which was a PITA just due to its inaccessible location. That said, I used a new ac delco starter and after installation I attempted to have my civic relearn via the previously posted procedures. Unfortunately it will start flawlessly but continues to idle extremely rough and egentially die. It's not throwing any codes, but I did go ahead and try to clean the throttle body as many have said before. I didn't completely disassemble it, but did use throttle body cleaner down into the butterfly valve with a clean shop rag. This didn't seem to make any difference. The car runs relatively well down the road, but will die upon coming to a stop.

Any ideas before I end up throwing in the towel and taking it to the dealership?
Old 07-08-2017
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Re: 2008 Dx with a persistent poor idle after starter change

Did you crack the plastic intake manifold while jockeying the starter out and in?
Old 07-09-2017
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Re: 2008 Dx with a persistent poor idle after starter change

I'm not super familiar with my civic but assume that you meant to say exhaust manifold? I could be completely wrong because I just haven't had to do much to this car.

All that said, I've gone back under the car and I haven't been able to find anything that seems out of place.
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Re: 2008 Dx with a persistent poor idle after starter change

but assume that you meant to say exhaust manifold?
No, the starter is directly under the intake manifold and it's plastic. I thought of the possibility of accidentally smacking it with a ratchet and causing a vacuum leak.

Off the top of my head I don't have an answer without gathering a lot more data (live operating data from a good scanner), but I might wonder if anything else was taken apart before it started running poorly. Bug caught in MAF sensor? Filter lid misinstalled? Missed part of a boot (causing air leak) between the throttle body and the MAF sensor? Forgot to connect a hose? EGR valve stuck open?

Maybe you can hold the RPM at just a high enough level that it runs bad but doesn't die, and keep it running that way (poorly) long enough to set a fault code




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